Unforgettable
by I'm Like Pleated Pants
Summary: This is a prequel story written about two OCs from a Titanic roleplay blog.
1. Chapter 1

**As stated in the summary, this is a prequel story for two characters which are a part of a Titanic roleplay on Tumblr. If any of you would like the links to that roleplay you can message me. But since this is a prequel, it can be read on it's own if you want to. Although as of now, I'm assuming only my RP partner will be reading this hahaha.**

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**Unforgettable**

**January 1910, Tuam, Ireland**

The sun was just peeking up over the horizon and the first few rays of light had started to stream through Annie's window. And over the past few months, that window had become what Annie thought of as the window to a new life. Giddy with anticipation, she got out of her bed and, shivering in the cold air, and threw the window open. She looked down at the sill with a smile on her face and saw . . . nothing.

Her face fell. Had he forgotten about her? There was always a note from him, waiting there every morning, and she always left him one in the same spot each night. But hers was gone, and there was no new one from him.

"No, he wouldn't forget," she whispered. She clutched the frame of the window tightly with one hand and leaned as far out of the window as she could manage. She let out a sigh of a relief as she saw it, resting on top of the frosted over grass. She reached with her free hand and snatched it up before pulling herself back inside.

After closing the window, she sat down on the edge of her bed to read it. Her hands were shaking from a mixture of cold and anticipation as she carefully unfolded the paper. Her smiled grew ever wider as she read over his latest message.

_Annie,_

_We've been passing notes for three months now. Writing isn't enough anymore. I need to see you, and you need to know who I am. Meet me behind St. Mary's after you read this, please. I'll be waiting._

_I love you_

As usual, he didn't sign his name.

Feeling another burst of excitement, Annie quickly changed from her night clothes into one of the nicer dresses that she owned. Her stomach was doing flips the entire time, and she could barely hold steady long enough to get the pins in her hair. But she managed and by the time she was done, even she had to admit she didn't look too bad.

Silently, she made her way out of her room and down the hall. She was just about to walk out the door when she heard her mother's voice. She hadn't even seen her when she passed the kitchen.

"Annie, where are you going?" Sarah Burke called, walking away from the stove to catch her daughter by the front door.

"Just going on a walk," Annie replied in the most casual tone she could manage. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, dear," Sarah smiled, trusting her daughter's answer. "You just be careful. Your father told me he saw one of those no good Barry boys lurking around outside this morning before the sun was even up." Sarah shook her head in disgust. The Burkes and Barry's had been feuding for years. No one even knew why anymore, just that they were expected to hate each other. And hate each other they did.

Annie waited until she was safely outside to roll her eyes. The entire feud was ridiculous. But what could she do about it?

Then she began thinking. What was a Barry doing around here in the morning anyway? What was a Barry doing here period? Her eyes widened and she looked down at the note which was still clutched in her hand. "Are you a Barry?" she whispered as she read over the note again, her words coming out as a white mist that floated in the air a moment before disappearing.

Now there was curiosity to motivate her along with her excitement. Her whole life she had been told how all the Barrys were horrible, rude, even dangerous (although that last adjective was only used during the nights her grandfather was sitting with a bottle in hand). Could someone from that lot really have written all the wonderful notes she had been receiving for the past months?

It took nearly twenty minutes to walk from the Burke property to the St. Mary's Cathedral. Shivering in the freezing air, she walked around to the back and leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath as she waited. Looking around, she didn't see anyone. Maybe she had taken too long. Maybe he had changed his mind and didn't want to see her. Maybe something had happened to him while he was one his way here. All three options made her want to run back home and never leave her bed again. She had never dealt well with disappointment.

She sighed sadly and tried to hold back her tears. But as she turned and started to leave they began to fall and she could swear her heart had begun to break.

"Annie Burke," the voice came from behind her and a strong hand came to rest on her shoulder.

She wiped at her face quickly before turning to face him. Her suspicions had been right. He was a Barry. "You're Joseph," she said. She had seen him around before. The last time, if she recalled correctly, they had both been uncomfortably standing off to the side as their fathers argued over property lines. "I was afraid you had left."

"I was afraid you weren't coming," he replied. "Are you disappointed?"

She shook her head rapidly and smiled. "No, I'm not the least bit disappointed. I'm happy I came."

Joseph smiled back, the expression lighting up his whole face. He pulled her in close and held her tight. "I've wanted to hold you for so long," he said. "It was so hard for me to walk past you in town and not tell you that it was me writing to you."

She buried her face in his shoulder and got as close as she could manage. She knew that for as long as their families felt the way they did, any embrace could be the last. So, she wanted each one to count, especially this first one. "They'll never allow it," she whispered sadly.

"Then we won't tell them," he replied. He pulled back from the embrace just enough for their lips to meet in a kiss. "We'll find a way to make it work, I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

**Unforgettable**

**August 1911, Burke Residence, Tuam, Ireland**

"Joseph, what was so important you had to show up at my house in the middle of the day?" Annie asked as Joseph came through her front door, grabbing her arm as he passed her and making her sit on the couch with him. "I know my parents aren't home, but what if someone in town saw you coming over here? Our families could find out!" She twisted her hands together anxiously. She couldn't take it if they found out and then forced her and Joseph apart. She just couldn't take it.

"Annie, that's not important right now!" The torn look on his face stopped her dead. Whatever he had to say to her, he was obviously struggling with it.

"Alright, I'm sorry. Whatever it is you can tell me," she said.

Another moment of struggling. "I've got a new job lined up."

Annie let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "That's wonderful," she said as she hugged him tightly. There hadn't been much call for electric work in the area lately and he had been looking for a new job for quite some time.

He sighed and placed his hands on her upper arms, holding her away slightly so he could look at her and make sure she understood what he was about to say. "No, Annie. The job is to work on the Titanic."

That hit her immediately and the smile fell from her face. She had read about the ship that was being built, it had been in all the papers, and she knew what it meant. Separation from Joseph.

"I have to go to Belfast next week. And I'll be there until she's ready to sail, and then I'll be on her maiden voyage."

Another blow and Annie tried to stop her eyes from welling up. The last she'd read about it, the Titanic was set to sail in late March. And there was always a chance there would be delays. They would be apart for at least seven months, if not longer than that. She threw her arms around him again, leaning her head against his chest. One of his hands went to rest on her waist while the other one disappeared into her hair as he held her close.

"I don't want you to leave," she said softly. A tear tried to escape and she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to hold the rest back.

"Come with me." At first she thought she hadn't heard him correctly. She lifted her head up so she could look at him properly. She knew she hadn't misheard him, and he was serious. She looked at him with sadness, her own response breaking her heart.

"You know that's not possible, not with the way things are," she replied. Her voice cracked a bit as she said it. She couldn't stand having to say no to him. Everything in her was telling her to go with him. "I couldn't go with you without losing my family. I love you, but I can't turn away from them." She stopped resisting the urge to cry. She couldn't believe they had already reached this point. She knew there was going to come a day when she had to choose between him and her parents, but she had always thought that wouldn't come until they got caught.

"So . . . that's it?" Joseph grew tense and balled his hands up in his lap as he tried to hide all the different things he was feeling.

"I'm sorry." Her words came out sounding like she was being choked and she buried her face in her hands.

Joseph reached out to place a hand on her shoulders, which were shaking as she cried, but pulled his hand back at the last second and stood. He was halfway out the door when he heard her call his name. He turned to see what she wanted, but before he could open his mouth she had her arms tight around his neck and she was kissing him with desperation.

"We still have a week, right?" she asked, out breath when she finally pulled back.

Much like when he used to leave her notes every day, he would come to her window every night that week after her parents had gone to bed. He would wait for her to fall asleep in his arms before making himself go home. When she woke up in the morning there would be a note on the pillow.

For the first six mornings this was just a variation on the same general message – _I love you, I'll be back tonight _– but the final note was much longer. She couldn't even bring herself to read it at first. So she carefully set it on her bedside table and took her time cleaning up and getting dressed. By the time she finished this, she just sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, staring at the carefully folded piece of paper. She knew what it contained and was absolutely terrified to read it. She didn't want to read his goodbye. She didn't want it to be goodbye.

She swallowed hard and reached out for it, and then stared at it again as it sat in her hands. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to unfold it and begin reading.

_Annie,_

_I'm sorry I won't be able to come back to you tonight. I'd give anything to have you come to Belfast with me, but I understand that you won't change your mind. I'll write to you as soon as I get the chance. Maybe we can find a way for you to come up and visit. Didn't one of your school friends move north a while back? I'm sure your parents wouldn't mind you visiting her . . ._

_I love you, Annie. I'll send a letter to you as soon as I get settled. I hope we can see each other again soon._

_Love, Joseph_

When her mother came in to fetch her for breakfast, Annie was still crying, the note hidden safely under her mattress.


End file.
